With an expansion this year in one of the state's school choice programs, students now can transfer out of more low-performing public schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

In Broward, students can opt out of a dozen schools, half of them high schools, for higher-performing campuses. In Palm Beach County, they can leave eight schools, four of which are high schools.

This year, the state expanded its definition of a "failing school" to include schools that have earned a D or an F for two of four years in the state's school grading system and failed other accountability measures. (Learn about the Opportunity Scholarships program here.)

Last year, only schools earning an F for two of four years qualified. Statewide, there were just 24 schools. With the new definition, there now are about 159 schools statewide.

In Broward and Palm Beach counties, the schools include these:

Broward:
Blanche Ely High School
Hallandale High School
Lauderdale Manors Elementary
Sunland Park Elementary
Plantation Elementary
Lauderhill Middle School
Hollywood Hills High School
Coconut Creek High School
Boyd H. Anderson High School
Royal Palm Elementary
Piper High School
Arthur Robert Ashe Junior Middle School

Palm Beach County:
Galaxy Elementary
West Riviera Elementary
Pahokee Middle-Senior High School
K.E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary
Palm Beach Lakes High School
Glades Central High School
Boynton Beach Community High School
Belle Glade Elementary

School grades are based on students' performance on the FCAT for elementary and middle schools. High schools grades include other measures, such as graduation rates. But, because students need to have time to opt out, the state included those high schools that would earn a D or an F if the grades were based only on FCAT scores.

Students have for years had the option of leaving failing schools under the federal No Child Left Behind act, which also focuses on low-performing schools.

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About the authors

FCATs and homework, budget cuts and college costs -- we'll cover it at South Florida Schools. Our focus is education, from kindergarten to college campuses, in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

MARC FREEMAN covers all aspects of K-12 education in Palm Beach County. He has worked at the Sun Sentinel since 2003... < More >